SLAYINGS FRUSTRATE ROCHESTER MAYOR

The shooting death of a 19-year-old man early Saturday morning in
northwest Rochester was the latest in a violent eight-day stretch
that saw six homicides.

Officials suspect drugs played a role in the two most recent
slayings.

A clearly frustrated Mayor Robert Duffy said Saturday that the city
must "go back to the drawing board" to find an answer to the
bloodshed. For now, police are changing tactics, to be more
aggressive and visible in an effort to break up suspected drug activity.

"We have to look at, are we missing something? We have to look at our
deployment," Duffy said, one day after the city announced a 12
percent drop in homicides for 2008, compared with 2007.

"This is the most important battle for Rochester's future -- right
here."

Answers will be more difficult going forward, given the city's
looming budget shortfall. After making unprecedented investments in
public safety during his first three years in office, Duffy said he
has told all departments to prepare for a 10 percent cut in 2009-10.
For police, that could translate to a more than $7 million reduction.

"The support I have given to the department, I will give again," the
mayor said, making clear he remains solidly behind Police Chief David
Moore and his staff. "But they will be asked to do more with less."

In the city's latest homicide, officers responded about 3 a.m.
Saturday to a reported home invasion at 50 Glenwood Ave., and found a
man inside with a gunshot wound to his buttocks. Police said the man,
who has not been identified, lived at the residence and was
uncooperative before he was taken to Strong Memorial Hospital.

His injuries initially were not considered life-threatening. However,
the bullet had continued into his abdomen and caused internal
injuries. He died during surgery, police said.

Investigators are speaking with others who were inside the home at
the time of the shooting and searching for two men that witnesses say
went into the residence with their faces covered. At least one man
had a handgun and shot the 19-year-old during a robbery, police said.
Both men fled, and no arrests have been made.

Duffy said he had been briefed by police, and both slayings this year
- -- Saturday's and another on Thursday -- had "clear connections to
drugs and drug dealing."

"We have no evidence that any of (the incidents) are related to one
another," Moore said of the spike in homicides, noting that shootings
overall remain down citywide. "I want to assure the community, these
are not random acts of violence. The victims appear to have been
targeted by known individuals."

Jennifer Rodriguez, 19, and fiance Travis Moss, 23, both of
Rochester, were at 242 Glenwood visiting Moss' aunt this weekend.

They knew the 19-year-old homicide victim, who lived in the house
next door. They'd "chilled with him six or seven times," Moss said.

"He was a quiet boy," Rodriguez said.

Rodriguez and Moss have an 8-month-old son, Jonaiel, and Rodriguez is
expecting a second baby. The violence has the couple concerned for
their children's future. "I want to get out of Rochester," Moss said.
"It's like a jungle."

"It's dangerous," Rodriguez added. "I don't want my kids around
dangerous stuff."

Duffy said he plans a series of meetings on Monday, the first
official day back to work after the holidays, and promised even
greater attention to -- and accountability for -- the city's crime
woes.

While criminal homicides in Rochester fell 12 percent, from 48 in
2007 to 42 last year, Buffalo recorded a 33 percent decline, from 55
homicides in 2007 to 37 last year -- the third-lowest on record for
Buffalo in 20 years, according to a report in The Buffalo News.

All six homicides this past week were within several miles of each
other, in or around northwest Rochester.

Three bodies were found in a Bernice Street home Dec. 27 in what
police labeled a triple homicide; anti-violence advocate Vincent
Dotson was shot to death in his Dewey Avenue barber shop later that
night; and the city's first homicide of 2009 claimed the life of
28-year-old Rochester resident Prentiss M. Jackson, who was shot New
Year's Day while driving his car on Dorbeth Road.

The number of Rochester homicides was on pace to fall 20 percent
heading into December and remained so until the rash of slayings to
end the year -- also including the Christmas Eve shooting death of
37-year-old Alfred Ocasio.

Moore said that while police plan to be more aggressive and visible
on narcotics enforcement, he plans to accomplish the task with
existing resources and will not redirect officers from already
identified hot spots in the city.

Instead of covertly investigating a suspected drug house, for
example, officers now will go to the door, tell the residents of
their suspicions and park outside.

"I still remain very confident that we are on course," Moore said.
"We won't change strategy, but we are changing (short-term) tactics."

Audrey Smith, founder of the support group Families and Friends of
Murdered Children and Victims of Violence, said she was troubled by
the recent string of violence. She called for stricter law
enforcement, including mandatory life sentences for anyone convicted
of a homicide.

"It's just so sad," said Smith, whose son Richard was killed in 1990.
"It appears there's no regard for the law or for life by many of our
young people. We are losing our sons and daughters. Our sons and
daughters will never come home again."

The man killed Saturday "had a future," said Smith, who said she
talked with his mother. "Now, he'll go to the funeral home, and we'll
say our goodbyes at the grave site."